Investigator: Gun intentionally shot on Holland Patent bus

The handgun fired on a Holland Patent school bus Monday morning was intentionally discharged at the back of a seat, according to Oneida County sheriff's investigators today.

Rocco LaDuca

The handgun fired on a Holland Patent school bus Monday morning was intentionally discharged at the back of a seat, according to Oneida County sheriff's investigators today.

The bullet then passed between students sitting in that seat before striking the back of the seat in front of them, sheriff's Capt. Richard Antanavige said.

Mathew T. Heinig, 17, of East Floyd Road in Rome, is accused of firing the gun, Antanavige said.

“It wasn't an accident, and it wasn't unintentional,” Antanavige said. “It was aimed directly at the seat in front of him.”

Although Heinig purposely pulled the trigger, Antanavige added, “Whether he really thought it would go off or not remains to be determined.”

Investigators believe that James J. Ranaudo, 16, of Steuben Valley Road in Holland Patent, had the gun on school property before bringing it on the school bus shortly after 11 a.m. Other students were boarding the bus when the gun was fired.

“It's quite possible the gun was inside the school building, we're not ruling it out,” Antanavige said. “We believe that he came from inside the building. Whether he picked it up on his way out, we don't know.”

At some point Ranaudo set the gun down on the bus before Heinig picked it up, Antanavige said.

Heinig is currently charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree reckless endangerment, while Ranaudo is charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Both youths are due to face a felony hearing in Oriskany Village Court Friday afternoon.

Investigators believe they know where Ranaudo got the gun, but Antanavige would not disclose that information until they know for sure, he said.

Antanavige did say that investigators do not believe the weapon belonged to Ranaudo's parents.

Antanavige would not say if Heinig knew the gun was loaded, nor would Antanavige say how many bullets had been in the gun.

Jaime Sweet was chatting on her cell phone Monday morning on a bus in front of her school when she heard a loud noise that sounded like fireworks.

A gun had been fired. A bullet hit the back of her seat, and the shell landed at her feet, the Holland Patent junior said.

“My hands were shaking on the phone, and my legs felt like Jell-O,” said Sweet, 16.
Two male Holland Patent students have been charged in connection with the accidental discharge of the handgun that happened shortly after 11 a.m., Oneida County sheriff's deputies said. No one was injured, deputies said.

“We're very happy the kids are safe,” district Superintendent Kathleen Davis said.

The events leading up to the shot still are being investigated, Sheriff Daniel Middaugh said.

Several unanswered questions remained late Monday including:

* Was the gun ever in the school building?

* Who did the gun belong to and why was it on school property?

An O-D reporter and photographer were unable to view the arraignment of the two suspects because they were told the proceedings would take place in Oriskany Village Court. Authorities did not tell the O-D journalists until afterward that the two teens were arraigned instead at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the home of Oriskany village Justice Richard Montgomery.

Bail was set at $25,000 each and the youths were taken to Oneida County Jail, Montgomery said. They will appear in court at 1:30 p.m. Friday in Oriskany.
School lockdown

The bus was loading in front of the high school to take students to BOCES when the shot was fired, and about 30 students were on the bus at the time, school and law enforcement officials said.

Two bus seats were damaged, Middaugh said.

The school immediately entered a lockdown, meaning students remained in their classrooms and were escorted by school staff members while in the hallways.
Sweet and her step-sister Holly Coleman, a senior, said they can't believe something so frightening happened at the school of about 500 students.

“I think it makes our school look bad,” Coleman said. “I never expected this.”
Sweet said two students were called off the bus by school staff before the gun discharged.

After the shot, Sweet and the other students on the bus were taken to the auditorium, and their parents were notified, Davis said.

Deputies will interview every student on the bus and the driver, officials said.
Sweet's mother, Laurie Coleman said she learned of the shooting from Sweet, who called to let her know she was safe.

“After I hung up with her, I started thinking about what could have happened,” she said. “It just hit me all of a sudden and I lost my breath. I just started crying.”

A letter to all parents with children in the district will be sent as soon as possible, Davis said.

Uniformed deputies will be at the school for the next several days, officials said. After that, the school and sheriff's office will discuss the need for additional presence.

Utica Observer-Dispatch

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